Huntress
by bensbro
Summary: Thalia Grace is growing up in a strange world. She can't read like the other kids, she can't spell, and furthermore she can't sit still. The entire world seems to be different than Thalia. Because of that, Thalia has become resilient and strong. But the tough kid Thalia was, is about to get a whole lot tougher.
1. Pajamas, Switchblades, and Suits

ONE

Pajamas, Switchblades, and Suits

I woke with a start to the sound of a hysterical voice.

"Thalia, wake up!" said my mom angrily. I sat up so fast I almost hit my head against the beam just under the top bunk. I glanced over at the crib of my brother. He wasn't there. I got out of bed and, not bothering to get dressed, stormed into the kitchen in my pajamas. Our house small with two bedrooms and a kitchen. It had originally belong to my wonderful grandparents. Now it was in the care of my irresponsible mother. What was once the beautiful, mahogany, kitchen of my grandparents was now the bane of maids everywhere. The counter was dripping with olive oil, glass was everywhere, and in the midst of it all, my mother lay, strewn across the dining table. She had lipstick all over her face and she looked as if she was about to pass out. Jason was nowhere to be found.

"Where is he?" I asked. My mother looked at me with a vacant stare. Here eyes were not unlike marbles, blank, uninteresting, and lifeless. She seemed to be contemplating what I just asked her.

"I don't know," she hiccuped, slurring her words, "but you better clean up the mess you made."

"Answer the question. WHERE IS HE?" I was almost yelling now. My mom moved with unreal speed. She grabbed the front of my shirt.

"Don't you talk to me like that! Show some respect," her eyes rolled around inside her head.

"Where did you put my brother?" I said, almost shaking up, desperate now.

"Uh-huh," she said. "He's in the -" she threw up all over me.

"Ahhh! You disgust me! No wonder dad left you!" I regretted saying it the moment it slipped out of my mouth but the damage was done.

"DON'T YOU MENTION THAT MAN!" She jumped over the table, ready to strangle me, but, by some miracle, she fell onto the floor, passed out. My heart pounded in my chest. I ran outside. I had to get out of there. Then, I saw my two year old brother, with a switchblade and a stapler. My mom had let my two-year-old brother have a switchblade and a stapler. I was so angry I could swear the leaves rustled around me. I snatched Jason up and walked to the base of a tree. I sat down, pajama clad, and tried to gain some missed sleep.

It seemed I closed my eyes for an instant when I woke to the rustling of leaves. I looked up and there was a man standing over me. He wore a pinstripe suit, grey like the clouds. He had a black thick beard and kind eyes the color of the sky. He looked on me with pity. Ordinarily, I would've shown him I knew how to use my switchblade but he gave off a calming aura. Somehow, I knew he wouldn't harm me.

"Do you mind If I take a seat," he asked.

"Um… I guess." I replied, still weary.

"Thank you. It is not often I am welcomed to a conversation, especially into one with such a strong intelligent girl like you. I am so often feared or mistrusted." he said. He stared off into the distance as if he was contemplating a million things.

For some strange reason, I had the urge to open up to him. As if he was silently urging me to talk about my problems.

"My mom has been uncontrollable lately. I go to sleep and I wake up in the morning and my brother has a knife. I just-" I was almost about to cry but I didn't. I was Thalia. I'd lived through the toughest scenarios. From the police knocking on our door to the gangs coming to knock some sense into us. I grew up tough. My lips quivered. I knew I had to stay strong. I wasn't going to fall apart like my mom. The man nodded as if he understood everything that was troubling her.

"Well, Thalia Grace, things aren't going to get any easier from here." How he knew my name, I hadn't a clue but he sounded so confident it was hard not to believe anything he said.

"I don't use that name," I said through gritted teeth.

"I'm sorry. I meant no offense," he said apologetically. I heard the sound of a glass being smashed and I winced. I knew I wouldn't be able to stay outside much longer but something about the man's presence made me think I had all the time in the world.

"You have your mothers beautiful eyes. In some ways you are just like her. In other ways, you are just the opposite. I guess we all have different aspects. Even I do." He said. Suddenly the sky rumbled. I must've looked scared for a moment because he smiled at me.

"There is so much you have to understand in such little time." I had absolutely no idea what he was talking about which made me want to listen even more intently. Suddenly his smile faded. He stood up quickly. I could swear I had heard a cow moo in the distance.

"I must go." He said matter of factly.

"Wait! At least give me your name." He tilted his head as if this were a silly question.

"I am called many things. What you remember me as is up to you." he said. With that he began walking off into the distance. I swear his form seemed to shimmer and vanish along with the stormy winds that surely approached. He left as fast as the wind, leaving unresolved thoughts in my head. If one thing was clear, It was that he did not belong in this neighborhood.

Our house was flanked on either side by rows and rows of old people houses. We had taken the house after my grandparents passed away. We were the odd ones out, the only ones under seventy for two blocks around. It was clear he was like us an outsider. I stood up and took Jason inside.

The table was now on it's side and my mom looked terrible. My mom was a model, so she could be very beautiful if she wanted to, but now her anorexia was getting the better part of her. I started to clean up the mess my mom had made. It was slow work, but after two hours and five bottles of Oxi-Clean, It was a reasonably clean. I took a step back to admire my work when my mom stirred on the floor. I thought about what a terrible mother she had been to me. I knew there was only one thing I could do to make sure Jason would never have to grow up to the same mistreatment as I did. I kneeled down to my mom.

"Mother." I said. "I am taking Jason. We are going to get an emancipation certificate and we are leaving you in the dust." I knew It was a bold claim but I wasn't afraid of her. I expected a look of shock, disgust, indignation, but she just nodded.

"Fine. I guess it's time," she said, still slurring her words. "But first, I need to run an errand with you," she gulped.

"Where then," I asked. I knew if I played my cards right, Jason and I would soon be home free.

"I need to take you to the wolf house."


	2. Jason Goes on a Long Field Trip

TWO

Jason Goes on a Long Field Trip

I stared at my mother puzzlingly. Why would she want to take us to the wolf house? I should explain. The wolf house is a building created by Jack London, an author who wrote novels about the wild and wolves. It was rumored that his house, the wolf house was haunted. Just as it was completed, It was burned down. His ashes were supposedly scattered on the site. I had visited it once or twice when I was a kid but it didn't seem to be a special place. I had no clue what she was up too but if that was her single request before letting us declare our independence I was willing to go along with it. I bent down and picked up the limp form of my mother and put her in bed. I closed the door and tried to fall asleep. Sure enough, my eyelids grew heavy and I ventured into the strange land that was my dream land.

I appeared to be on top of the most beautiful mountain in the world. I looked around me and saw the most magnificent valley. On the nearest hill I saw a van that said _Delphi Strawberry Service._ That was quite the weird name but the entire valley radiated joy and springtime. I glanced over behind me and I saw an abrupt border separating his paradise and the outside world. There were four figures running up the hill. One was a young blonde girl, another was a slim guy, one was some sort of hybrid (a goat/human maybe?), and one was me. The scene shifted. I was running away looking terrified. I was armed with a sword but I still looked scared out of my wits. I woke up with a start to crying. Jason was in his crib with a bloody lip.

"WAAAA," he wailed. Next to him in his crib was a stapler. I realized he must've been trying to eat it. I ran to the kitchen and grabbed some scotch tape and a roll of paper towels. It wasn't exactly the best medical care, but It stopped the bleeding. I heard a crash from my moms bedroom and my mom came stumbling out. She had cleaned up.

"Let's go," she said, not slurring her words. I was befuddled by why she needed to leave so urgently but I didn't argue. I grabbed my favorite death to barbie t-shirt, my leather jacket and some jeans. I took a look at my room, grabbed Jason, and headed out. Little did I know, this would be the last time I saw my room, ever.

•••

Drive to the wolf house seemed to take less than a minute. What I didn't know was that this was the last time I would ever visit my neighborhood again. As we passed the forest something inside me began to stir like it always did when we approached the wolf house. _This is dangerous. Not your territory! _It seemed to be saying. I glanced over my shoulder self-consciously. I could see nothing but dust trailing behind us. Suddenly the car screeched to a halt. A heard a lock click as my mom stumbled out of the car. She knelt down and scooped my baby brother in her arms.

"Put him down." I told her.

"Sweetie can you go get my purse from the car?" she said, innocently. No! I thought. I wasn't going to turn my back on Jason. Then again It was only a second. I turned my back and bent down to pick up my moms purse. That was the shot heard round the world. If I hadn't turned my back that instant, well, the world would be so different right now. But I did. There was a blinding flash behind me, a cry, and thunder. It all happened in an instant and when I turned around to give my mom her purse, Jason was gone.


End file.
